A Last Minute Moment
by Shelley101
Summary: One-shot. Phoebe knows that, in order to move on with her life, she needs to let Cole go. So she chooses to say goodbye to him this one last time. What she doesn't expect is to find Cole in between life and death, a fate that she put him in. Is this really their last goodbye?


**A/N:** Since I just wrote a chapter about Phoebe and Cole in my story 'Lots of Love' I couldn't help but write this one-shot that has been in my mind for at least a year. It's set during the ending of 'Centennial Charmed' so there are a couple of scenes based around that but it's mainly Phoebe and Cole stuff. I've wanted to write this for a long time but I couldn't decide when to set it and I didn't have enough PhoebexCole inspiration. But it's written now. Enjoy!

* * *

 **A Last Minute Moment**

Paige was still not back from wherever she had orbed off to when she sneezed at P3. Phoebe and Piper weren't worried though, Paige was a big girl, she could look after herself. And both of them had different things on their minds anyway. Piper, who was just a couple of months away from having her baby girl, was worried that she wouldn't be a good mother. And Phoebe was worried about Cole.

"Maybe I should just talk to him? Just to say goodbye?" Phoebe asked her older sister for the upteenth time that evening.

Piper, who was getting frustrated at Phoebe's talking sighed and said "Honey, you made it quite clear to Cole already that you didn't want him to come back to you. You keep telling Paige to stop obsessing over his vanquish,"

"Yes, but Piper. That's different. I just think that we both need some closure. Once I've said goodbye then we can both move on with our lives," Phoebe replied.

"Look, Pheebs. Right now, you aren't trying to persuade me that it's a good idea, you're trying to persuade yourself. You told me earlier that you were free of him emotionally. This does not look like you're free of him emotionally!" Piper exclaimed.

"Well, ok, I may have told a little white lie to Paige to stop her from trying to vanquish him. But it was for her own good. Going after Cole alone is dangerous, she should know that," Phoebe said.

"She does know that Phoebe. She's just trying to help you find closure," Piper replied.

"And that's very sweet but I don't need Cole gone to find closure, I need to see him one last time, just to say goodbye," Phoebe said.

"A last minute moment," Piper started, "How romantic,"

"Piper it's not funny. Can you help me find him? Just this one last time?" Phoebe begged.

Piper gave in, not wanting Phoebe to get herself into any danger to find Cole and talk to him for the final time. Phoebe smiled and they made their way up to the attic.

...

 **Meanwhile, in the alternate reality**

"What happened to us Phoebe? How did we get here? We used to be so in love. Even without your sisters, it's not working. Why?" Cole yelled, aggravated that the alternate reality he had created was just as bad, if not worse, than the one he had left behind. Phoebe left the room, Cole closely following her. "Phoebe, wait," he called, desperately.

It was then that he noticed Piper, the woman he hadn't seen in months, standing right before him.

"What are you doing here?" he snarled.

"Saving my sister," Piper replied. Sending him flying backward with her power. He fell to the floor in pain. "Now!" she yelled.

Paige and Leo orbed in, with Paige holding a knife "Surprise," she said as she sliced a piece of flesh off his hand.

"You," Cole said through clenched teeth, an energy ball already in his hand.

Phoebe looked on in surprise and found herself grabbing his arm to stop him hurting her sister, her whitelighter and the strange woman she didn't recognise. "No," she instructed as Piper, Leo and Paige orbed out.

...

"There it is," Phoebe said, looking into the Book, "To Find A Lost Love,"

"Are you sure you want to do this Phoebe? Nobody is forcing you. Hell, I'd rather force you not to," Piper said uneasily.

"Piper, if I want to move on, I have to do this. I'm ready to let him go," Phoebe answered before she could chicken out and listen to her sister's advice. She got the candles ready and sat in the middle of the circle.

...

"Phoebe, throw the potion," Paige instructed.

"She's not gonna throw it, are you? We've been through so much together. Our love's so strong, nothing can destroy it, not even this. We're meant to be together," Cole said.

"I don't think so," Phoebe said as she threw the potion at her demonic husband.

...

 _"_ _Whiter my love,_

 _Wherever you be._

 _Through time_

 _And space._

 _Take my heart,_

 _Nearer to thee,"_ Phoebe chanted just as the Phoebe in the alternate reality threw the potion at Cole.

...

Cole screamed in agony and heartbreak as the potion hit him. He exploded as he was vanquished, leaving Phoebe, Paige and an unconcious Piper in the room. The room started spinning, back to how it was meant to be.

...

Phoebe opened her eyes and saw herself in a similar place to where she was sent the last time she said the spell and went to Cole.

"This isnt right, I'm meant to be with Cole," Phoebe said to herself. The place she was in was the place that all vanquished demons went and Phoebe believed that Cole was still alive. All of a sudden she heard a man screaming in agony and in some smoke, Cole appeared. "Cole?" she whispered, not quite believing what she was seeing.

"Phoebe. What are you doing here?" Cole asked her, confused.

"I could ask the same to you," Phoebe replied.

"You just vanquished me," Cole said, realising that the Phoebe he was seeing was not from the alternate reality he had created.

"I what… no I didn't… I was in the attic with Piper. I wanted to say goodbye to you," Phoebe stuttered, still confused. This couldn't be true. She didn't want to see Cole dead. She just wanted to say goodbye, to know that although they were over, although they had both moved on, she could still look up to the stars and know he was looking at them too. She didn't want him to be gone.

"Look, Phoebe, you don't have to pretend. You hate me, I get it. You asked me not to persue you and I haven't. Maybe I didn't want to be persued either Phoebe," Cole said.

"I don't hate you Cole, I love you. With all my heart. We just weren't meant to be," Phoebe replied sadly. It was true, they weren't meant to be but if they had stayed together, would Cole be dead? Or would they be happily married and perfectly alive?

The stood, looking at each other in silence for a few minutes until Cole broke the silence. "Dammit Phoebe, I love you so much. We could have made it work! We used to be so happy together,"

"We couldn't have made it work Cole, you're evil and I'm good. We're on different sides. This isn't Romeo and Juliet," Phoebe answered. She knew they couldn't have made it work. She knew that. So why was she so sad about the fact that he was really going to be gone?

Cole walked up to her, and held her hand. "You should go, it isn't safe for you here," Cole told her.

Phoebe nodded but didn't say anything.

"I love you Phoebe, I'll never forget you," Cole said, looking into her eyes longingly. Phoebe looked away, knowing that if she returned his stare, she would cry. It broke her heart to know that this was the last time he would be able to hold her hand, to look into her eyes, to love her. It just completely broke her.

"Goodbye Cole," Phoebe said eventually. She faded out as Piper said the reversal spell to get her back to the attic.

"Goodbye," Cole said to the place where Phoebe had been standing. "I'll always remember what we had."

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 **A/N:** OK, so, not the best story but I've never been good at romance. So far I've done a one-shot with Piper & Leo and one with Prue & Andy and I want to do one with Paige but I don't know which guy I should do it with? Glenn, Richard, Kyle or Henry? Review which one you'd like me to write and your thoughts on this one-shot.


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